Election Law Blogger Responsible for Free Ben & Jerry’s

Election law blogger Rick Hasen of Loyola Law School is taking credit for an expanded free ice cream promotion by Ben & Jerry’s.

The ice cream purveyors had originally offered free ice cream to anyone who could show they voted. Hasen pointed out on his Election Law Blog that the promotion could violate a federal law barring compensation for voting. “If I were Ben and Jerry’s lawyer, I’d tell them to shut this down,” he wrote.

Instead, Ben & Jerry’s offered free ice cream to everyone on Election Day, Hasen told the National Law Journal. I’m now responsible for thousands of children and others getting free scoops on Nov. 4,” Hasen told the NLJ.

Starbucks and Krispy Kreme did the same thing, expanding their respective offers of a free coffee and a free doughnut.

The NLJ interviewed Hasen and another election law blogger, Ned Foley of Ohio State University’s law school. Foley said the busy election season “feels a little bit like being a tax attorney around April 15.” Foley’s blog is Election Law @ Moritz.